Interjection

 October 7th 2011
Have you ever been taught "first you finish this job before you start the next"? I  q u i c k l y  wanted to post some pictures of our last big vacation in the States, write a little about the great time we had on the West Coast and then report about our new old life in Germany. As you can see below I'm almost half through our 5 weeks vacation... and some of you still haven't heard from us since we are back in Germany. I'm really sorry and I promise to make up for that. The reason is we have been very busy and it has not been so easy adjusting to our old home. Here's the last year in a nutshell (for pictures and more you can scroll down the blog):
THE START
Ina had to go to 6th grade in "highschool"(our elementary school is from 6yrs to 10 yrs, and then there are 3 different levels of secondary schools). She was very well prepared for secondary school at our Cary elementary school Oak Grove and adjusted very well academically and socially.
Wiebke had to go to 4th grade in elementary school. It was a little stressful because she had to perform very well to be accepted at "highschool" and she had never been to a German school before! But she did very well, too although sometimes some of her classmates were not very welcoming. Fortunately, she had a very nice and supporting teacher.
Nils' start was much more complicated. As Nils started school (kindergarten) a year earlier in Cary than he would have in Germany and as Nils had no problems reading in German neither with the other subjects we put him in 3rd grade instead of 2nd according to his age because he would have been so much advanced there. Unfortunately, the teachers did not support that. In most of the subjects Nils was at level but there was no real encouragement in the few things where he had to catch up, and what was worst: the classmates did not include him in their midst although he knew many from preschool. Thinking back to the time when we came to Cary and the kids didn't even know a word in English but everybody was sooo welcoming and encouraging made us very unhappy and missing Cary very very much....
Katrin however had a good start. She went to the preschool where all the others have been. It was quite an adjustment to much more liberty in how to spend the day: running around all 4 groups they have, in the whole house or outside, weaving in one group or painting in another etc., and we were glad that after 3 years of the very structured American preschool she also got to know this.
Dietrich got back to his old job which wasn't quite as sad as he had expected because he was pushed into quite interesting projects and finally even got promoted. Still, he is missing his American work environment a lot.
And I was busy getting everybody and everything started. Nevertheless I got to know to a French family and I started teaching their girl twice a week to help her improving her german.
HOMESICK
Not everything was bad (of course, and we were happy to catch up with old friends) but we were (and are) missing Cary a ton!!! That's why we observed all the holidays that we loved so much: we had a spooky Halloween Party and the funniest Saint Patrick's day with a lot of "mischief". The best way however to cure us a little was.... to visit us. We were so glad that Max and Tristan stopped by when they where visiting their German family and we had the best time with the Dexter family here on Easter and another great week with Sofia!
MEANWHILE
Ina is in 7th grade and is doing very well. She does Geography in English (the bilingual branch) and loves it as well as French that she just started.
Wiebke is totally excited to finally go to "highschool", loves all the new subjects and all of her teachers. She also made new friends in the new class.
Katrin started first grade and loves to go to school. She has great teachers and a very nice class. Only getting up at 6:20 is a little bit hard...
In spite of all the difficulties, Nils finished the last school year well. After 6 weeks summer break he needs to readjust to working but in general he is doing o.k., still being quite slow with his homework what he still has to improve because it blocks the afternoon for the whole family. He made some friends in his class, too.
          And there is a life outside school, yes. All four kids play the piano and go to a year round swim team, and the three oldest also sing in our church's chorus. Coming home between 1 and 2 p.m., they love to have playdates (homework permitting...) or just playing outsides in the bushes in our cul de sack where they built a fort and a maze. They enjoy strolling around by bike, going to the ice creme place or to the village's tiny school supply (and candy) shop.
At the end of May Dietrich's father suddenly passed away and we spent a lot of time in the north of Germany to support his mother. This, a lot of stress at work and a big new private project (we are going to build a new house in our cul de sack) was especially hard on Dietrich and he ended up having a tinitus. He's not completely recovered yet but doing much better with the help of a stress relief therapy and we are trying to work off one "constructions site" after the other.
At the same time I increased my workload by accepting some teaching jobs (3 french evening classes for adults). But I love to be in my old job and it is very rewarding for me. 

O.k. - this was a big nutshell. But now you are a little bit better informed and I promise that from now on I will post more regularly to avoid such a mass ;-)

Trip to the West Coast 8

July15th
After the desert we are cooling down at this very comfortable RV Park. We enjoy the bowling and the pool.

I think that most of our german friends have no idea how many American RV parks look like. It's rather like a big parking lot and has nothing to do with the camp grounds we know.

This one was really nice. That didn't help though that it was very hot and in the evening we had to have a very quick dinner because with the sun set came the cock roaches out of their hiding places and invaded our picnic spot. We kept the AC running day and night and we still had 95F at night!

July 16th

Exploring the amazing nature is a great experience but today we are heading to THE city! Unfortunately, oil is leaking from our caravan and the main plug for the electric hook-up is broken so that we have to go to a garage - why do these things happen on Fridays?!

 We still take the time to go on a scenic loop through the Red Rock Canyon on our Way to Vegas. These old sand dunes are so incredibly red!!

Finally at the garage in L.V. we're told that the differential is broken and that we need an exchange. Had I mentioned that our R.V. is totally old and shabby and I had to clean it before moving in? Well, we could hope for a new and better one now. Unfortunately, the central office doesn't agree, sends us to another garage that fixes the differential ... and we are spending the whole day waiting for our truck instead of making millions in the L.V. casinos. We only cross the city on our way to an RV park in Boulder City (at least we have to pick up the keys for the bathrooms in the Casino! How exciting!!!)

                                          We were not the only ones int the streets....
 We enjoy the pool and sweat through the night (still 100F).

July 17th
As our plug is still broken we don't go back to L.V. but to Cruise America's main hub to get it fixed... Afterwards we cross the Hoover Dam with Lake Mead which is impressingly big but alarmingly empty!

We continue our trip east wards to the Grand Canyon and shortly before Williams we get into a thunderstorm with heavy rain - I thought we were in the desert...

Only at 6 p.m. we arrive at the Grand Canyon, jump into a shuttle for Hermit Point and after a short walk to Hopi Point where we get to watch a breath taking sunset!!!

 Wow. This is so big and red and deep and all these cliffs and far far down the Colorado River!

Trip to the West Coast 7

July 12th
The weather is gorgeous and we are having a nice breakfast outside.

We drive into the Mammoth ski area...

... and take a shuttle bus which takes us on beautiful mountain passes to a ranger station. From here we hike to the amazing "postpiles", basalt rocks. It's quite warm but not too hot for our hike.

After the "Devil's postpile" we go another loop to the Minarette Waterfalls. On our way we even discover some spots of snow in the shade of the trees! The kids are totally astonished to find it while it is so warm.

 

We are back in the early evening and enjoy our bbq with alpenglow!!

July 13th

The desert is calling but first we need to go shopping in Bishop to get sunhats! After a picnic on the curb we continue our way to Lone Pine. It's quite hot and we are staying at an RV Park with a super warm pool.

Again: Diner with Alpenglow

July 14th

We should have started a little earlier to avoid the worst sun on midday... 5:30 is still awfully early!

Everybody is excited to explore the Death Valley National Park. We try to get gaz at the first station in the park, but they're out of stock... Will we get stranded so soon in 112F? Luckily we are getting gaz at the next station.

While having breakfast on the go we enjoy the Great Dunes at the beginning of the park.

We stop at the Borox pit, explore a little bit (like the wagon for 20 mules that had to carry the botox and water) but rush back into our truck to get out of the heat (although we already had to turn off the AC).

Another short hike takes us through a little canyon.

Finally we get to the salt fields - unfortunately at the hottest time of the day... After the Devil's Golf Course, Dietrich and the older ones walk through a salt field at Bad Water, ca. 274 ft below sea level!

The rock desert we are then driving through is breath taking with its different colors and countless different shapes and little canyons.

We finally get to go to the air-conditioned, cool visitor center. A totally enthusiastic Ranger explains the geological and other facts about the desert and the kids answer questions about the park so that they are sworn in as "Junior Park Rangers".

With the park we leave California and enter Nevada with its straight, never ending roads.

 It's still very hot. After that exhausting day we stay at a luxurious RV Park in Pahrump (very affordable though, here in the middle of nowhere) with a big pool and waterfall. The night in this heat is not very restful...

Trip to the West Coast 6

July 10th
This is a (very hot) day just to relax: pool, petting farm and gem hunt at the campground, shopping, campfire w/ marshmallows and s'mores (o.k. this is not the whole truth, of course there is laundry, cooking, cleaning...)

July 11th
Again Yosemite! This time we explore the giant sequoias of Tuolumne Grove. These giants are so majestic and its unbelievable that people carved one to drive through!! Nontheless we pose for a picture in it:

We leave Yosemite National Park through the north. This part of the park is at least as beautiful as the valley (and less crowded).

The weather is quite warm but not too hot so that we walk around a bit and enjoy this beautiful scenery. Then we drive east southwards. After a great scenic drive through the Sierra Nevada we arrive at Mammoth Lakes and stay at a big RV park.